The weekly Walt Disney World Update is now published on Tuesdays.

Note: All ticket prices in this story do not reflect the additional 6.5 percent sales tax, with the exception of Florida resident monthly payment numbers, which represent actual payment costs.

Just weeks after Universal Studios raised their one-day, one-park ticket to $92, breaking the $100 mark after taxes and fees for the first time, Walt Disney World has followed suit with its own price increase—but going one step further by also introducing a tiered pricing system. The new price for a one-day, one-park ticket to the Magic Kingdom is now $95, a 7 percent increase. The same ticket is $90 for those planning to spend their one day at Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or Epcot. This $5 Magic Kingdom premium only applies to one-day, one-park tickets, and is not included in multi-day or park-hopper tickets.

Multi-day Magic Your Way base tickets increased 5 to 9 percent across the board, with the 10-day Magic Your Way base ticket now priced at $339 for adults ($320 for ages 3 through 9). The Park Hopper and Water Park Fun & More options rose another $2 apiece to $59 each, though adding both is still $84. The No Expiration option can add another $35 to $325 to the base ticket depending on number of days purchased.

With this recent jump, buying a new adult 10-day base ticket is only $14 more than adding the No Expiration option, and the fully upgraded adult 10-day ticket is now $20 more than buying a Premium Annual Pass, the first time this has been the case.

Base ticket prices (children ages 3–9 in parentheses):

Base Ticket Prices

Days On Ticket

New Price

Old Price

Percent increase

10 days

$339 ($320)

$318 ($300)

7% (7%)

9 days

$329 ($310)

$308 ($290)

7% (7%)

8 days

$319 ($300)

$298 ($280)

7% (7%)

7 days

$309 ($290)

$288 ($270)

7% (8%)

6 days

$299 ($280)

$278 ($260)

8% (8%)

5 days

$289 ($270)

$268 ($250)

8% (8%)

4 days

$279 ($260)

$256 ($239)

9% (9%)

3 days

$262 ($244)

$242 ($226)

8% (8%)

2 days

$184 ($172)

$176 ($164)

5% (5%)

1 day – Animal Kingdom, Epcot, or Hollywood Studios

$90 ($84)

$89 ($83)

1% (1%)

1 day – Magic Kingdom

$95 ($89)

$89 ($83)

7% (7%)

1 day Magic Your Way Park Hopper

$129 ($123)

$124 ($118)

4% (4%)

1 day Magic Your Way with Water Park Fun and More

$149 ($143)

$144 ($138)

3% (4%)

1 day Magic Your Way Park Hopper with Water Park Fun and More

$174 ($168)

$168 ($162)

4% (4%)

Optional add-ons (price increase in parentheses):

Optional Add-Ons

Park Hopper

Water Park Fun and More

Park Hopper + Water Park Fun and More

No Expiration

10 days

$59 ($2)

$59 ($2)

$84 ($5)

$325 ($50)

9 days

$59 ($2)

$59 ($2)

$84 ($5)

$280 ($30)

8 days

$59 ($2)

$59 ($2)

$84 ($5)

$245 ($30)

7 days

$59 ($2)

$59 ($2)

$84 ($5)

$220 ($30)

6 days

$59 ($2)

$59 ($2)

$84 ($5)

$190 ($35)

5 days

$59 ($2)

$59 ($2)

$84 ($5)

$145 ($15)

4 days

$59 ($2)

$59 ($2)

$84 ($5)

$95 ($10)

3 days

$59 ($2)

$59 ($2)

$84 ($5)

$45 ($5)

2 days

$59 ($2)

$59 ($2)

$84 ($5)

$35 ($5)

Other attractions (children ages 3–9 in parentheses):

Other Attractions

New Price

Old Price

Percent Increase

Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach

$53 ($45)

$52 ($44)

2% (2%)

DisneyQuest

$45 ($39)

$44 ($38)

2% (3%)

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

$14.95 ($10.28)

$14.95 ($10.28)

None

Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba

$61–$144 ($49–$117)

$73–$128 ($58–$102)

Up to 13% (Up to 15%)

Annual passports also jumped in price, though the increases were also much less than the 2012 price change. The biggest jump was the Epcot After 4 pass, which went up 17% from $149 to $174. The most expensive pass, the Premier pass offering all of the benefits of a Walt Disney World premium pass plus admission to the two Disneyland Resort parks in California, jumped to $979. The Premier pass was introduced in 2010 at $700, and has gone up 40% since then.

Florida residents can also continue to buy monthly-payment Annual Passes of all types. For each pass, a down payment of $102 (including tax) must be made, then the monthly payments continue in in 12 installments.

Annual passports:

Annual Passports

New Price

Old Price

Percent increase

DVC Price

Renewal Price

Premier (Disneyland and Walt Disney World)

$979

$849

15%

N/A

N/A

Premium

$729

$699

4%

$584

$619

Annual Pass

$609

$574

6%

$464

$519

Florida Resident Premium Pass

$584

$559

4%

N/A

$494

Florida Resident Annual Pass

$464

$425

9%

N/A

$394

Florida Resident Seasonal Pass

$309

$299

3%

N/A

$264

Florida Resident Weekday Select

$209

$199

5%

N/A

$179

Florida Resident Epcot After 4

$174

$149

17%

N/A

$149

Other annual pass options (children ages 3–9 in parentheses):

Other Annual Pass Options

New Price

Old Price

Percent Increase

Water Parks

$104 ($85)

$99.95 ($80.50)

4% (6%)

Water Parks After 2

$62 ($50)

$60 ($48)

3% (4%)

Disney Quest

$90 ($72)

$89 ($71)

1% (1%)

Disney Quest + Water Parks

$132 ($102)

$129 ($99)

2% (3%)

Daily parking fees are now $15 for automobiles, an increase of $1, and $16 for campers. Rental fees for lockers, strollers, wheelchairs and ECVs remain unchanged.

As Mark Goldhaber noted last year, the price increase helps Disney cover contractually obligated raises to employees and other rising costs of operating the theme parks and resorts. At Walt Disney World, discounts usually come in the form of room discounts and free or lower-cost Dining Plan promotions rather than admission discounts.

Still, with this latest increase, it now costs $1,354 plus tax to buy five-day Park Hopper tickets for a family of four, (two adults, two children ages 3 to 9), a 7 percent increase over last year's price of $1,264 plus tax. The same family would pay $2,436 plus tax for Annual Passes, an increase of $140.

Is this year's price increase too much, or is it justified? Join the discussion on our MousePad discussion forums.

Question: if you hold a concealed carry permit valid in Florida, are you allowed to bring a gun into a Walt Disney World theme park?

Many, if not most, would likely answer, "Of course not." But surprisingly, the issue isn't quite that clear. This ambiguity contributed to a situation last week in which a grandmother visiting Animal Kingdom with her grandson found a loaded gun on the seat as she boarded the Dinosaur ride. According to Yahoo News, the gun belonged to 44-year-old Angelo Lista, a Florida resident with a concealed carry permit. The gun—loaded with five hollow-point bullets—fell out of Lista's pant pocket as he rode Dinosaur. The Orlando Sentinel reports Lista noticed the weapon missing about the same time the next passenger in the vehicle turned it in, and was escorted, with his gun, out of the theme park. Lista returned the next day sans gun.

Lista maintains he didn't know that Disney has a no-weapons policy. While many would scoff at this comment, the fact remains that Disney doesn't go out of its way to communicate that policy to guests, and Florida law does not list theme parks as no-gun zones as it does bars, schools, and courtrooms. There are no signs at the gates as there are at other Orlando theme parks, and someone carrying a gun on their person, as opposed to inside a bag, would not necessarily be stopped by the security officers at bag check. We've been told that Disney security officers are taught to look for the telltale signs of someone carrying a weapon, such as a visible clip or obvious bulge in their clothing, but such screenings can never be completely accurate, as last week's situation demonstrated.

Disney's own website does explicitly list "weapons of any kind" among the items that can ot be found inside the theme parks, but you have to scroll halfway through the lengthy Frequently Asked Questions page to find the Restricted Personal Items question, and from there, click to another page to find the full list of prohibited items.

According to cast member sources, guests who are discovered to have a gun during bag check are asked to leave the weapon in their vehicle (provided they have a secure case), or at the front desk of their Disney Resort hotel if staying on property. The theme parks also have secure storage for firearms, though we've been told this option is normally offered only to off-duty law enforcement officers.

So what happens if you're caught inside a Disney theme park with a gun? In Florida, and barring any other circumstances (that is, not in violation of another law), the Disney can (and will) ask you to leave the theme park, but cannot press charges simply for gun posession. However, refusal to leave means a visitor faces a charge of armed trespassing, a felony in Florida.

Not surprisingly, this situation has prompted a bit of discussion among our readers, with some wondering if Disney needs to install metal detectors, like those used seasonally at other Orlando attractions, to keep guns from entering the theme parks. Others have questioned whether Disney is doing enough to communicate its policy to gun owners, and suggest that Florida adopt a law similar to one enacted in Arizona that specifies the signs private property owners must post in order to prohibit concealed carry firearms on their premises.

Quick takes…

...The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow at Disney's Hollywood Studios is closed until this Friday, June 7 for an unscheduled refurbishment.

...Car Masters Weekend returns to Downtown Disney June 15 and 16 for Father's Day. The event is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. both days, and features a car show, a Cars movie marathon at the AMC theater, special merchandise and autograph opportunities, and a Cars meet and greet with Lightning McQueen, Mater and Finn McMissile. More details at the event website.

...Several readers have e-mailed us with what appears to be a change in the parking policy at the theme parks. These readers report being required to show a photo ID along with their valid Annual Passport when parking at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom parks this week. For passholders used to just waving their AP in the general direction of the parking attendant as they roll through the booths, this is a surprising change and has caught many unprepared. We don't know if this is a random policy enforcement or related to the RFID implementation.

We're Hiring!

Are you interested in writing for MousePlanet? We're currently looking for columnists to cover new areas of the Disney universe. We're especially looking for Florida locals to provide photos and information for the weekly Walt Disney World Update

If you are interested in contributing to the weekly Updates, or you have an idea for a great new column, please contact us—we'd love to hear from you!

Crowd information and forecasts are provided by TouringPlans.com, the website of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, to help you better plan your trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. TouringPlans.com gathers wait time data from a team of in-park researchers and users of their Lines mobile phone application, and then predicts crowd levels for the next 365 days. Using a scale from 1 to 10, TouringPlans.com has a 90 percent accuracy of predicting the crowds to within 1 point, helping visitors prepare for their trips so they can "Do more. Wait less."

It's June and everything is going up, the temperature, crowd levels, and Disney ticket prices! TouringPlans.com can help you avoid falling into the typical tourist pitfalls, and will help you avoid the dreaded tour groups, with our per-park Crowd Calendar, Lines - Mobile Wait Times App that gives access to current and estimated wait times for attractions, and Touring Plans detailing the best plan of attack for hitting the attractions. Now more than ever, it's a good time to subscribe to TouringPlans.com to plan your strategy to avoid the crowds!

Below are the predicted resort-wide crowd numbers for select days generated by the TouringPlans professional statisticians as measured for the upcoming week. For the access to the full year and per-park crowd level predictions, visit our Crowd Calendar.

Date

Overall

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

6 / 10

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

6 / 10

Thursday, June 6, 2013

6 / 10

Friday, June 7, 2013

7 / 10

Check out the Disney World Park Crowd Levels page on TouringPlans.com for park-specific predictions and recommendations on which days to visit and avoid particular parks!

Monday is the best day to visit the Magic Kingdom.

The resort crowd level on Saturday 7 out of 10.

Following a Touring Plan is important when crowd levels spike at the park you're visiting!

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (January 9–12) – Sold out: Walt Disney World Half Marathon, WDW 10K, Disney Family Fun Run 5K, Dopey Challenge, Runner's World Challenge. Registration is still open for the Walt Disney World Marathon, Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge, Family Reunion Breakfast and Pasta in the Park Party.

Disney's Princess Half-Marathon Weekend (February 21–23) – Registration opens on Tuesday, June 11. Events include Disney's Princess Half Marathon individual and team events, Disney Royal Family 5K, Kids Races, post-5K Breakfast, and Pasta in the Park Party. runDisney has announced a special achievement for those running both the Princess and Tinker Bell half marathons.

Do you participate in (or are considering signing up for) runDisney events? Visit our Team MousePlanet forum on the MousePad discussion board, where you can join our community of health-minded readers and staff.

Value Resort – receive the Quick Service Dining plan for free. You can upgrade to the Standard or Deluxe dining plan by paying the difference. Moderate, Deluxe, or

Deluxe Villa Resort – receive the Standard dining plan. You can upgrade to the Deluxe dining plan by paying the difference.

There are some restrictions:

You must purchase a 2-Day (or longer) Magic Your Way ticket for very member of your party.

You must book your travel by July 31.

You must book the same tickets and dining plan for every member of your party.

Children ages 3–9 must order from the children's menu where offered; children under age 3 are not eligible for free dining.

This offer excludes the campsites at Fort Wilderness, the Little Mermaid rooms at the Art of Animation Resort, and all 3-bedroom Villas.

For full details, visit the Disney special offer site.

PhotoPass+ pre-arrival discount

Disney's PhotoPass service provides a discount on Disney PhotoPass+ pre-arrival packages. For $149.95 plus tax, Walt Disney World guests receive a voucher to exchange for a PhotoPass+ card upon arrival at the resort, a Photo Gallery CD with more than 400 stock photos ($39.95 value), a unique code to create and order a photo CD upon return from their trip ($169.95 value), print packages at select dining locations ($29.95 value each), and digital photos from select attractions ($14.95 value each). Applicable taxes are charged to all orders.

This special offer is only available from this link or by calling the Guest Support line at (407) 560-4300 before you arrive at Walt Disney World Resort. All sales are final, and not eligible for an exchange or refund.

The package might take as long as 14 days to arrive, and you must bring your voucher from the package to redeem it, so make sure that you order far enough in advance to allow your materials to arrive.

Passholder room discounts June 4 through August 15

A discount for annual passholders is available for most dates June 4 through August 15. Advance reservations required.

As with all discounts, rooms available at these rates is limited, and minimum length-of-stay requirements may apply for Friday or Saturday arrivals. No group rates or other discounts apply. Campsites, three-bedroom Grand Villas, and standard rooms at Disney's Art of Animation Resort are not included. Discounts vary by accommodation type and date, and availability varies by date. Moderate and Deluxe Resort suites may be available at a lower discount - check with your travel agent. Full details on the offer website. (AP login required)

You can make your reservation through the Walt Disney World Passholder website or by calling (407) 939-7926 or your favorite travel agent. MousePlanet's preferred Disney travel providers are MouseEarVacations.com (link), Small World Vacations (link) and Get Away Today (link).

Disney Visa cardholder room discounts for June 13 through August 14

A Disney Visa cardholder discount is available for most dates June 13 through August 14. The new promotion offers discounts of 5 to 30 percent off room-only bookings, with the option of adding non-discounted tickets and dining plans if desired. Rooms must be booked by June 14 to qualify.

As with all discounts, rooms available at these rates is limited, and minimum length-of-stay requirements may apply for Friday or Saturday arrivals. No group rates or other discounts apply. Suites, three-bedroom Grand Villas, and standard rooms at Disney's Art of Animation Resort are not included. Discounts vary by accommodation type and date, and availability varies by date. Discount percentages shown below are on room only. You can add non-discounted tickets and dining.

Florida resident hotel offers

The Waldorf Astoria Orlando has announced Florida resident rates valid through September 5. Residents receive 10 percent off of the best available rate, along with free transportation to the Walt Disney World Resort. Book using the Florida resident offer website.

The Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort has announced Florida resident rates valid through September 5. Residents receive 10 percent off of the best available rate, along with free transportation to the Walt Disney World Resort. Book using the Florida Resident offer website.

Discounts for US Military

2013 Military Salute offers

From now through September 28, active and retired U.S. military personnel can purchase 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets with either the Park Hopper or Water Parks Fun and More option for $156 per ticket, plus tax (up from $138 last year), or with both the Park Hopper and Water Parks Fun and More options for $184 per ticket, plus tax (up from $165). No Base ticket is available with this offer.

These tickets expire after September 28. Blockout dates are March 24 through April 4 at all ticketed locations, and July 4 at Magic Kingdom park only.

Eligible service members include active or retired members of the U.S. military including the U.S. Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reservists. Disney Military Promotional Tickets can be purchased at Shades of Green or at a participating military base (MWR/ITT) office. There is no tax charged for these tickets but they must be activated at a theme park ticket window. Tickets may also be purchased at Walt Disney World Park Ticket Offices and Guest Relations Offices where tax will be charged. Tickets may be purchased by active and retired military personnel for themselves and up to five additional family members or friends. One of the Disney four-Day Military Promotional Tickets purchased on each occasion must be for use by the Eligible Service Member or spouse. This offer is for active or retired members of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, Reservists and the U.S. Coast Guard. Valid military identification is required. The tickets are non-transferable and may not be resold.

You may upgrade the tickets to Seasonal Passes or Florida Resident Weekday Select Passes (for Florida Residents), or Annual Passes, Premium Annual Passes, or Disney Premier Pass with credit toward the upgrade based on the actual price paid. The no-expiration option and other upgrades, such as additional days, are not available.

In addition, specially priced rooms are available to active and retired U.S. military personnel at select Walt Disney World resorts for stays most nights through September 28.

For complete information regarding Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets and discounted resort rates, military personnel may call (407) 939-7830, visit the Walt Disney World website, or participating U.S. military base ticket offices.

Discounts for UK residents

2014 Free Dining offer for UK residents

2014 Free Dining offers for UK residents have been released. From the information posted on the Virgin Holidays website, it appears the 2014 program offers free Quick Service Dining Plan plan when booking at a Moderate resort, and free Dining Plan when booking at Deluxe resorts, Old Key West or Saratoga Springs. There are also offers for a free $200 Disney Gift Card and/or a 14-day ticket for the price of a 7-day ticket depending on travel dates. These particular offers are valid for UK residents only.

Comments

By davidgra on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:05:09 -0700

Ah, the laws of supply and demand in action. Obviously, Disney did a study and found that the majority of guests who buy a one-day, one-park ticket go to the Magic Kingdom. Not sure if a $5 premium will cut down on the number of people who do that, but I guess Disney'll make a little extra money off 'em.

I've been wondering for several years when Disney would be installing metal detectors at the bag check areas. The last Six Flags park I went to had metal detectors, and it got me thinking that the day we'd see those at WDW or Disneyland wouldn't be too far off. Having a bag check without screening what a person is carrying on their body is really pointless.

By KJSJpipe on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 14:20:07 -0700

Pirates of the Caribbean – closed June 27–20 for refurbishment. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed June 22 & 23 for refurbishment. Pirates of the Caribbean – closed June 27–30 for an "animation refurbishment."

What are the actual closing dates for Pirates?

By AVP on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:52:09 -0700

Originally Posted by KJSJpipe

Pirates of the Caribbean – closed June 27–20 for refurbishment. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed June 22 & 23 for refurbishment. Pirates of the Caribbean – closed June 27–30 for an "animation refurbishment."

What are the actual closing dates for Pirates?

Pirates of the Caribbean – closed June 27–30 for an "animation refurbishment."

By KJSJpipe on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:26:31 -0700

Thanks AVP!

By LtPowers on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 06:36:52 -0700

You accidentally linked to last year's price increase thread instead of this year's.

Powers &8^]

By stan4d_steph on Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:36:29 -0700

Originally Posted by LtPowers

You accidentally linked to last year's price increase thread instead of this year's.

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MousePlanet is not associated in any official way with the Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries. or its affiliates. The official Disney site is available at www.disney.com. This MousePlanet Web site provides independent news articles, commentary, editorials, reviews. and guides about the Walt Disney Co. All information on this site is subject to change. Please contact destinations in advance to confirm the most up-to-date information.